A BILL to amend and reenact section fourteen, article one,
chapter twenty-five of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
the electronic monitoring of offenders; permitting use of
electronic monitoring equipment to aid in supervision of
parolees; providing for the use of fees collected in the
program; and clarifying restrictions on the types of
equipment that may be used.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:That section fourteen, article one, chapter twenty-five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1. ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTIONS.

§25-1-14. Electronic monitoring of offenders; special account.

The commissioner is authorized tomay use electronic
monitoring equipment to aid in the supervision of inmates
offenders.InmatesThe commissioner shall charge offenders
subject to supervision by means of electronic monitoring
equipment shall be charged a reasonable fee, to be established
under a legislative rule promulgated by the commissioner pursuant
to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to help
defray the costs of the purchase and use of suchthe equipment
and the division of correction's operational costs:Provided,
That an inmate'soffender's inability to pay a fee willdoes not
preclude the inmateoffender from being eligible for this
program.All moneysfees collected as such fees shall be deposited in
a special account which is hereby created in the state treasury
Such account shall be designated as the "electronic monitoring
program account". and The funds deposited in suchthe account
shallmay be used by the commissioner only for the operation of
the program and for the administration of the division of corrections."Electronic monitoring equipment" means an electronic device
or apparatus approved by the departmentdivision of corrections
which is limited in capability tocapable of recording or
transmitting information as toregarding the furloughed inmate's
offender's presence or nonpresence in a designated area. Such
The device mustshall be minimally intrusive. Except to the
extent provided in this section, the Thedepartmentdivision of
corrections shall not approve any monitoring device which is
capable of recording or transmitting (i) visual images, except
for that of a still image of the offender that can only be
transmitted by the offender triggering the monitoring system,
(ii) oral or wire communications or any auditory sound, or (iii)
(ii) information as to the furloughed inmate'soffender's
activities while he or she is within the designated area. A
monitoring device may transmit information regarding blood
alcohol levels. The monitoring device shall not be used to
eavesdrop or record any conversation: Provided, That
conversations between the offender and the person supervising the
offender may be recorded solely for purpose of voice
identification.